Hear it From Carl - Round 3

Jan. 11 – Friday

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Harambee House –I really loved the familial sense of responsibility which Rudy expressed as the key to working with the neighborhood. The idea that every child is “his” child from the age of 7-30 is such a much broader vision that just getting them through grade school or just getting them out of drugs, etc. Over and over again, this theme of incarnational ministry is being repeated and I think that I’m starting to get a grasp of what it means to give your life for others. Overall, I just got a really positive feeling from our visit there and the sense that there really is hope to a community completely be transformed.

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Islamic Center – One of my fears in going to the Islamic Center is that there would not be a willingness to engage in open dialogue with us around the questions of threat which many westerners / Christians feel about the aggressive nature of the Islam which we have been exposed to. I was right. The progressive / moderate view of Islam which was shared with us felt very much like a well polished presentation which was designed to inform but not engage. When questions about relations between the two faiths were raised, it was not acknowledged as a mutually necessary conversation. I felt as though the presenter was being somewhat disingenuous. He raised the interesting maxim of “which Christianity” and “which Islam” we are talking about. But the problem is that there are readily identifiable leaders in the various branches of Christianity whose viewpoint is generally accepted as “authoritative” for that faith community. When speaking of Islam, it seems that there is a very nebulous quality to who speaks for “Islam” and while some would denounce what others would assert, it is not clear where the authoritative voice lies. It is a copout to say that this Westernized version of Islam should be the only thing we should talk about when there are so many other voices from that faith which command our attention.

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In the worship of the mosque, I found that it seemed to be a highly individualized and dividing experience. There seemed to be very little sense of community amongst those in attendance. While I saw a very few people give one another greetings, there were almost no extended conversations which I saw, and everyone seemed to rush off to do their own thing again. It was dividing in that there was no place in the main worship area for the older men with disabilities. There was no way for the women to engage in the activities except by sound – no visual. The sermon also focused very much on the individual struggle to act in righteousness in fear of judgment. I left this experience vaguely frustrated and which a sense of tiredness – hopelessness.

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Union Rescue Mission – This experience really surprised me. I was expecting something which was more in line with the previous experiences of missions which I have participated in. This facility was bright and clean and orderly. There was a high level of respect and friendliness in the place as well. The progression of possible involvement and a chance to change lives by supported effort was encouraging and seemed very realistic and hopeful. Once again, the tremendous reliance on partnerships was evident – especially in the food preparation area and yet always within the context of their faith perspective. I really appreciated that the worship services were for those who had willingly joined the programs and were committed to being a part of the work at the mission. Those who came for food, clothing, and shelter only were freely welcomed in grace and the name of Christ without being preached to in words. This felt so much more comfortable to me than previous experiences where I was expected to preach to the hungry rather than feed them.

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Jan. 12 – Saturday

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Dream Center / Angeles Temple - I had a lot of misgivings about this ministry experience before we went. Although I was somewhat familiar with the program itself, I was more than a little skeptical about having middle-aged white guys from outside the community attempting to connect with the local community. As it turns out, I needn’t have worried. While there were quite a number of people who were indifferent to our presence, there were indeed some who were so happy to receive us and invite us into their homes and to receive prayer or other assistance that the church could offer. As I visited with several residents of the neighborhood that I was sent to, I was clearly reminded of my own prejudices and assumptions. While the people I talked to had all kinds of “problems”, most of them were just as anxious to get out of the area as I was but unlike me, they really had no where else to go, except to another neighborhood that they could afford which would be just as rough as this one. I was humbled. The repeated emphasis on relationships was encouraging and was demonstrated over and over again as the team I was with hugged their way through the neighborhood. This sort of self-giving love and offering to meet needs is something which I should be doing with my own neighbors. I should be offering love and relationship to those all around me – without it being a program of the church.

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January 13 – Sunday

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Mosaic Church – Pasadena: The emphasis on the arts was really apparent now that I have seen this church twice now. From the improv team that opened the service to the elaborate backdrops for the stage setup and the artist painting during the message, this faith community has really found a way to connect with the artistic community of this area. As I listened to the music, I reflected on the lyrics and realized that it was entirely culturally driven rather than theologically. It was highly individualized and only referred to God in very generalized terms that can easily be interpreted according to individual preference. The teaching is another matter. The clear, insightful teaching pulls no punches and deals directly with issues that are relevant to those who desire to follow Christ faithfully. It was interesting to note, however that the congregation was fairly homogenous middle-upper class white folks and there was little diversity to be seen anywhere. Maybe in being inclusive of a particular culture (LA arts) they have become unwittingly uni-cultural in other ways.

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Armenian Evangelical Church – Pasadena: I was expecting to be completely out of my element in a congregation that did not worship in English. However, the format of the church was actually very familiar – it was like a very traditional evangelical / Baptist church. It was amazing to see how the culture of 1950’s fundamentalism had become assimilated within the context of an ethnically defined congregation. It made me wonder what the influences were that helped to form this congregation. During the singing it was really interesting to see the difference between the solemn singing of English hymns that had been translated into Armenian and then the joyful and rhythmic and LOUD singing of those songs which originated from their own culture. It truly reinforced for me that heart language is terribly important in the expression faith. Though this church describes itself as evangelical, I have no idea how they expect to reach out to their community when they are exclusively focused on their ethnic identity.